I'm not sure if there has been a thread like this or not, I haven't looked much.

Are there any traits are really common in your breed but no one ever mentions to prospective owners? For example, BCs are famous for being high-energy, intense, smart, agile, etc., but no one seems to mention that they are extremely affectionate- annoyingly so in fact. Most of the BCs I've met want to melt into your skin pretty much... they swarm you, like they will die without fairly regular petting. I never read this in BC books, and it is not commonly seen as a breed trait in the "is this breed right for you" type articles on breeder websites and such.

Or like, I had no idea how funny BCs were. You hear the words "intensity" "serious" "focused" to describe the BC, but never "hilarious" "goofy" "happy"... which almost every Border Collie I know is.

Are there breed traits that aren't exactly "advertised" in the breed books that are common in your breed? Or are the temperament descriptions in the books fairly accurate? Does that make any sense at all? LMAO!

Not really a huge deal, but none of my Chows (and other Chow owners report the same) will willingly get their feet wet/dirty. This doesn't carry over to getting in bath tubs and the like, they've all been very willing to do that. But puddles outside, no thank you. Of course Aesop has to be a goober and refuse to step outside if there's even a hint of precipitation...

Interesting that you say that about BC's. My experience, with my own BC and others I have met have been that they are pretty reserved. Quinn is very independant and not really an affection seeker.
She likes to wrap her arms around your neck and lick your face but she isn't one of those "Please, I want touch" dog. She tolerates my cuddles.
Its actually one of the things I like most about Quinn, I like a head on my lap to pat on my terms but much more than that bugs me.

The thing that I didn't know about BC's and I have now heard several times is that they can just be generally quirky.
While most of Quinn's quirks would drive most the people I know nuts, I love them.
Her hatred of wearing harnesses or how she will be asleep in another room and then suddenly run out like we called her name, only to droop her eyes and then go back to bed... running out again 20 minutes later like we called her.
I think discovering and living with her quirks makes her all the more interesting. After all, she's smart enough to work through anything that worries/bothers me.

I didn't know GSD's were prone to handler obsession till I heard it recently and i thought about my trainers GSD. He's a great dog, really well rounded but he just hangs out for my boss so badly.

About half the papillon books/web pages don't seem to get the energy level right. I still see a lot that talk about how papillons need very little exercise and that drives me batty. Some paps are really good without exercise but there is a substantial number (I would say most) that need much more than all breed websites tend to mention. I've seen 5 minutes a day mentioned before. Seriously? Not going to work for the vast majority of papillons. No wonder I see so many people complaining that they're hyper.

One thing I don't see mentioned is that papillons are quirk balls. I see it mentioned with shelties a lot but in my experience paps are pretty darn quirky too. Not as motion sensitive but quirky. Ex: Beau likes to walk around with blankies on his head. Summer likes to put herself in down stays then wait to be released. Mia spends about half her time walking around and just putting her tennis ball inside things and then getting them back out.

I also find that papillons love to climb and also jump/fling themselves off of high places. One of the first things Beau's breeder showed us was how to hold them so they don't try to push off your chest. Mine have ended up in shelves, on tables, they frequently hang out on the back of the couch, Mia wants to ride in the car on the head rests, Summer has flung herself off of a 5' wall before without thinking, etc. Couple that with their size and it can be problematic.

They are about the least stoic/pain tolerant dog breed ever. They are so dramatic about everything. If they are happy, they are really really happy but they have woe is me down pat.

I don't know how everyone's Cardigans are, but the ones I've met are just straight up crazy like a fox and tricksy. Opening cabinets and fridges, somehow able to get up on counters, tables...just places you'd never expect for a short legged dog to be able to go.

They also have a really high preydrive and my cobreeders girl can catch wild rabbits occasionally, but it's more common for her to bring in chipmunks (which are probably faster, so I have no idea how she catches those).

They are also escape artists. I dog sat one cardi and no crate could contain her. One time, she got out and the crate was still locked. Have no idea how she got out, because she was on the couch when I got home looking really proud of herself.

Oh, and they will be afraid of things that you will not understand. My dog is reactive to fire hydrants. QUIRKY!!!!!!! LOL I don't know how or why. I've had her since she was a little thing and as far as I know, no fire hydrant has ever been mean to her hahahaha!

Maybe not all cardigans are like that. Maybe it's just the bloodlines I have. I've heard some people say their cardigans are couch potatoes and laid back as all get out, but that's not been my experience.

I've never seen a JRT book mention that DA is fairly common in the breed. They seem to cover most other things pretty well.

Aaa, now I could tell people that from personal experience. I haven't met one yet that isn't DA to some degree.

Labs? I'm not sure if it's a breed thing or not, but of all the breeds I've owned, it's only been the 3 Labs that people have described as people in fur coats. They are also the only dogs I've owned that have undesrstood conversation, not just key words.

About half the papillon books/web pages don't seem to get the energy level right. I still see a lot that talk about how papillons need very little exercise and that drives me batty. Some paps are really good without exercise but there is a substantial number (I would say most) that need much more than all breed websites tend to mention. I've seen 5 minutes a day mentioned before. Seriously? Not going to work for the vast majority of papillons. No wonder I see so many people complaining that they're hyper.

One thing I don't see mentioned is that papillons are quirk balls. I see it mentioned with shelties a lot but in my experience paps are pretty darn quirky too. Not as motion sensitive but quirky. Ex: Beau likes to walk around with blankies on his head. Summer likes to put herself in down stays then wait to be released. Mia spends about half her time walking around and just putting her tennis ball inside things and then getting them back out.

I also find that papillons love to climb and also jump/fling themselves off of high places. One of the first things Beau's breeder showed us was how to hold them so they don't try to push off your chest. Mine have ended up in shelves, on tables, they frequently hang out on the back of the couch, Mia wants to ride in the car on the head rests, Summer has flung herself off of a 5' wall before without thinking, etc. Couple that with their size and it can be problematic.

They are about the least stoic/pain tolerant dog breed ever. They are so dramatic about everything. If they are happy, they are really really happy but they have woe is me down pat.

Laurelin summed my thoughts up pretty well.

Out of all of them, the exercise level bugs me the most. Cali gets called a "cat" all the time and most people don't even consider her an actual dog. In reality, she'd go crazy if she got zero exercise each day. She's fine with only a couple walks, but she gets insanely annoying when she wants to play/etc and she hasn't already been exercised. She's the only reason why I'm dressed before ten on a weekend.

She has loads of quirks too, and yes, is relatively dramatic. She's seriously the most excitable dog I've ever met, which is a good thing sometimes, but when she gets excited and starts barking uncontrollably... it gets annoying.

I know about five or so other papillons from a breed forum and I know they all have their own little quirks. They also fit in with the excitable and dramatic group.

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The two and a half year old papillon. Crazy. Social butterfly. Clever.

I find English Shepherds to be well represented, although of course there is some variety in the breed, like any other. One really cute breed trait though is that it seems a LARGE amount of ESs sleep on their back with their legs straight out. Quinn does this and every time someone posts a picture or mentions that their dog sleeps like this, tons of other ES owners say their dogs do it too.